Attorney General Chris Koster
announced yesterday that Bank of America will pay
$67 million nationally under a multistate
settlement for its involvement in a nationwide
scheme to rig bids and engage in other
anticompetitive conduct that defrauded Missouri
municipalities, school districts and
not-for-profit entities in the purchase of
municipal bond derivatives. The combined
multistate settlements will provide eligible
entities the opportunity to receive restitution
for the wrongdoing. Approximately 50 Missouri
entities are eligible to receive more than $2.6
million under the settlement.

As alleged in the states
settlement agreement, during the period 1998
through 2003, Bank of America and other financial
institutions and brokers allegedly rigged bids,
received and provided "last looks" on
bids, and submitted non-competitive
"courtesy" bids on these investments.

Bank of America voluntarily
self-reported the wrongdoing to the Department of
Justice (DOJ). Under the DOJs Corporate
Leniency Program, Bank of America was granted
conditional leniency based on its acknowledgement
of wrongdoing.

Its always
interestin to see everone agree
on somethin, but if it happens too
often it makes me a little uneasy.

I was brought up to think
that "goin along" wasnt
a healthy thing to be doin. Now
thats different that agreein with
someone. There is no shame in comin to
the same conclusion as others after
thinkin it through.

I suppose the key word here
is thinkin. The same can be said about
disagreein. Some folks just seem to
want to stir the pot for the fun of it.
Nothin wrong with a little
stirrin now and then, as long as ya
dont slop it out on the stove. The
thinkin part is what makes the
difference.

 To make a bottle of
travel nail-polish remover, start with a clean
film canister or airtight medicine bottle. Stuff
it with a foam hair roller (with a hole in the
middle) thats cut to fit the bottle.
Saturate the foam with nail-polish remover. To
use, just stick one finger at a time down in the
hole in the roller. Move finger up and down to
"scrub" the polish off. This works
really well.

 "Sew buttons on the
top wrist area of gloves or mittens for children
(works for adults, too!). They can be buttoned to
a coat or pocket. They stay attached, and
its easier for kids to unbutton gloves than
to unpin them. On my childrens jackets that
have no buttons, I sewed a small strip of fleece
into the pocket with a buttonhole on it." --
G.S. in Canada

 When camping, use this
important tip: Store toilet paper in a coffee can
with a lid. Its watertight -- no dampness
will ruin your TP.

 "I like pretty
buttons, and I use them to keep track of my
earrings. I pin a pair of earrings through the
holes of a button, and store them all in a bowl.
This way, I get to enjoy both the buttons and the
earrings." -- C.L. in Virginia

 "I hang a bag of
clothespins in our laundry closet. When adding an
item to the basket, I (or my family members) clip
a clothespin to any areas that need extra
attention. We do this if theres a stain, or
if it needs to be dry-cleaned or hand-washed, for
example." -- P.L., via e-mail